Adventure in the Black Forest
by Peter Smith
Summary: The next story in my series of POV tales, featuring Ian the Grey Ranger! One Saturday afternoon, Zordon sends Ian, Teresa and Billy on a mission into the Black Forest in Germany, where the Rangers face danger, mystery and an old foe.
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys and gals :). This is another in my line of point-of-view stories, featuring Ian the Grey Ranger. Just a quick reminder (otherwise people are gonna be super confused, heh), these stories have original characters, and are set in Australia (which is actually important here). In terms of time, the Rangers have been Rangers for a couple of years now. Billy (and the other senior Rangers) are approaching the end of high school (and down under, the school year matches up to the calendar year, ending in November) ergo the reference to graduation. I hope you enjoy :).

* * *

**Chapter One**

School camp's always an adventure, but it doesn't usually change your life.

Mine did.

When I was eleven, my class went on a trip to the coast. I surfed, swam, and met the Power Rangers. I know, right? Like that wasn't incredible enough, they asked me to join them, giving me the opportunity to fight alongside them as the Grey Ranger. Me, Ian Thompson, a kid who grew up in outback Queensland, with the chance to be a superhero? I know I was nervous, but I said yes anyway, and I'm glad I did.

See, in the back of my mind, all I could think of was that it would be the most awesome adventure. Alongside some of my best friends, I'd get to see and do things that nobody else on Earth would ever know about. But then sometimes the adventures can be a little too big. When I first met the Rangers, they'd already been together for a few months. I think the extra time was really important for them to get used to their new lives. The other Rangers always seem so in control, like they're never overwhelmed. They always know what to do, regardless of whatever crazy situation we find ourselves in. It's inspiring, but also a little intimidating. On our last few missions, I've felt more and more out of my depth, like I'm fighting just to keep up with everyone else.

Anyway, it was a warm October Saturday, and I was in the Youth Centre that afternoon finishing up some homework at the team's usual tables, around the corner from the Juice Bar. Beside me, Billy was hidden behind stacks of books piled high in front of him. The senior team's final ever high school exams were only a couple of weeks away, followed closely by graduation. All six of them were spending the weekend studying. I didn't see why Billy was so worried. The Blue Ranger is scary-smart, and I'd be surprised if he didn't finish top of the class. Honestly, I'd be surprised if he didn't finish top of the _state_.

Closing the chemistry textbook before him, Billy slid it across the table, took his glasses off and massaged his aching eyes.

I looked up from an English assignment. "Need a break?" I asked.

Billy nodded glumly. "I am beginning to lose my recollection of fresh oxygen and vitamin D," he said, then caught himself. "Sunlight," he added with a smile.

Across the Youth Centre, I saw Teresa step out of the locker-room hallway. Catching sight of Billy and I, she waved and wandered over towards us. Teresa is one of the kindest people I know. While her fighting skills are incredible, when I first became a Ranger, she always took a second to make sure I was okay.

"Hey guys," the White Ranger said, sliding into the chair beside me. "How goes the studying?"

"In desperate need of a timely diversion," Billy replied.

We'd all learned long ago not to tempt fate, and I glanced worriedly to Teresa. Sure enough, a second later our communicators all chimed that familiar six-note tone. We looked around to make sure nobody was eavesdropping, but the Youth Centre was mostly empty, and Ernie was in the kitchen cooking. Teresa raised her wrist to her mouth and spoke.

"Teresa here. Go ahead."

"Teresa," crackled Zordon's voice. "Are any of the other Rangers with you?"

"Just Ian and Billy."

"Excellent," Zordon replied. "If the three of you aren't busy, could you teleport to the Command Centre? It's nothing urgent, but I have a favour to ask."

"We'll be right there," Teresa said, and the communicator fell silent.

Teresa helped us cram our books back into our backpacks, and we headed down to the locker-room hallway. Vanishing from the scene in flashes of silver, white and blue, we soon materialised in the central chamber of the Command Centre. Looking down over us was our mentor Zordon, a powerful ancient wizard trapped in an interdimensional timewarp. He's a cool guy, Zordon, and he's probably seen some amazing things. I wondered sometimes if he ever missed being out in the field with the rest of us.

"Rangers," beamed Zordon. "It's good to see you."

"How can we be of assistance, Zordon?" Billy asked.

"I need the three of you to teleport to Germany," Zordon began, "and find the College of Magical Knowledge hidden deep in the Black Forest. One of the teachers there is an old friend of mine, Professor Barnabus Brucklehurst. I need you to deliver something for me."

"Sure," nodded Teresa.

"I guess," I added.

"Alpha, if you would?" Zordon asked. Zordon's robotic helper Alpha stepped around before us and placed a small black box on top of the nearest console. I reached over to pick it up, and a strange feeling swept the length of my arm. The box was light, but felt like it was humming. I slid it into my back pocket.

"So how do we get there?" Teresa asked.

"Teleportation doesn't work close to the college," Zordon replied. "It's one of the school's defensive measures. Your morphers won't work properly either, but I doubt you'll need them. You'll have to teleport to the city of Offenburg and take the Black Forest railway down to the small hamlet of Gengenbach. From there, follow one of the lesser-used trails out into the forested foothills surrounding the town. Here," and Alpha handed Billy a rolled-up map. "It's not a long trek, and from the weather reports, it's going to be a fine day."

He broke off as Alpha handed us all a small bundle of books and papers. "If anyone asks," Zordon continued, "you're three exchange students on a morning hike."

I turned to Billy and caught him grinning. He always loved it when Zordon gave us cover stories. I did too. It made the whole thing seem very James Bond. "Good luck Rangers," Zordon said, and I felt his gaze linger on me for a second. "Enjoy the trip."

* * *

Oceans, mountains and deserts flashed under us as we shot through the atmosphere towards Germany. A minute later, we materialised in an abandoned side-street in the middle of Offenburg, a short distance from the railway station. Offenburg was a large city, peaceful in the early morning save for the quiet hum of street cleaners and cafés opening for breakfast. We quickly made our way into the station, and it wasn't long before we were onboard a comfortable train carriage heading south through the Black Forest.

The trees were tall and ancient, towering over the train, and I felt quite small watching them flash past the window. The forest seemed to go on forever, extending all the way back to the jagged snow-capped peaks on the horizon. Teresa and I sat opposite each other, while across the aisle, Billy was sitting beside a businessman deeply engrossed in his newspaper. Up ahead, the forest began to thin, and the conductor's voice echoed out of the train's PA system. It was all in German, but I heard the word 'Gengenbach'.

Teresa nodded. "This is our stop," she said.

As the train rolled out of the forest, Gengenbach steadily came into view. It was a small village nestled between forested hills on all sides, with what looked like a vineyard on one slope close to the city. The narrow streets were lined with leafy green trees and small buildings, while the town's skyline was a maze of sloping rooves, chimneys, clock towers and church steeples.

As the station approached, we stepped over to the carriage doors, but Billy glanced back to the businessman he'd been sitting next to. Peering over the man's shoulder, Billy quickly saw the traveller was stuck on the paper's daily sudoku puzzle. Tapping the man on the shoulder, Billy leaned forward and pointed almost at random to the little squares on the page.

"Six," he began, "nine, one, two, seven, and four. Oh, and that square in the top corner where you have a five? That's actually an eight." The businessman stared in puzzled gratitude, and Billy smiled and rejoined us by the doors.

Stepping onto the street, the Blue Ranger unfolded the map Alpha had given us.

"Where to?" asked Teresa.

I swept my gaze over the map. "If we're here," I said, pointing to the station, "then we need to follow this road, and take the second trail past this farmhouse here."

So we set off. Although it would've been late in the afternoon back home, here, it was still quite early. Before long, we'd found the right trail, and the sounds of the village faded away behind us as the trees grew thicker and we followed the overgrown trail deeper into the forest. The sounds of traffic were soon replaced by the wind through the trees, and bird calls in the branches above us.

"It's nice here, isn't it?" Teresa said.

Billy nodded, and offered us the bottle of water he'd grabbed before we'd left. "The forest is not only noteworthy in terms of its biodiversity," he began, "but rich with local legend," and he held up a tourist guide he'd bought while we were waiting at the station. "The region's folklore is full of tales of elemental sorcery, spectral entities and cases of lycanthropy. There are also races of dwarves purported to live under the lakes."

As we strolled down through a forested valley, I suddenly caught sight of a dark shape darting between the tree trunks behind us. It almost looked like a shadow missing a person. I stopped and looked back, but couldn't see anything. It must've been a trick of the light. Brushing the hair out of my yes, I jogged back after Billy and Teresa.

"How far away do you think we are?" Teresa asked as I caught up.

I looked at the map. "Not far," I replied, and nodded to a rise up ahead. "I think it'll be just over this ridge."

"Do you hear that?" Billy asked. Quickening our pace, we jogged to the top of the hill, and the forest opened out before us. On the other side, the trail continued down and disappeared into the trees on the left, while on the right, past a grassy lawn and sitting near the side of a rocky ravine, was the college. We'd found it.

"Wow," I breathed.

A long time ago, the college had been a charming three storey manor house, with beige stone walls under a roof of blue tiles. I could even see what looked like stables back behind the house. But at some point, the house had become too small for its use, so rather than move, a succession of different builders had just kept haphazardly adding to the building, all independently of each other. Entire wings had been added wherever space allowed, and sometimes where it hadn't. Patios had been walled in to become corridors, which had then become stairwells. So many chimneys and blue-tiled turrets had risen on the roof that it gave the whole building a look of mushrooms springing up after a rainstorm.

Thick ivy was climbing most of the outside walls, while higher up, intricate stone carvings peered down over us. I could see eagles, lions, fairies and centaurs carved into the rocky walls. Flowers growing in beds by the front stairs were dazzlingly bright, with golds, violets and fuchsias amongst colours I didn't even know the names of. On a balcony over the entrance, a young woman was having an animated conversation with a potted plant that seemed to be talking back. A few windows across, a dozing wizard was resting his head on his own hat, while on a patio beside the stairs, a pixie was chatting to a strange young man with leaves in his hair and a pair of goat legs under his waist.

I nudged Billy's shoulder as we stepped off the trail. "Is that a satyr?" I asked.

"I believe so," Billy replied. "How remarkable."

As we approached the front archway, the two turned to us and offered friendly waves. Teresa stepped forward. "Maybe you can help us," she called. "We're looking for Professor Brucklehurst?"

"Through the front doors, second staircase, third door on the left!" the satyr pointed.

"Thank you!" I called.

Stepping under the arch, we followed the stairs up to the front entrance. "This place doesn't seem large enough to be a school," I said.

"Possibly it's one of those larger-on-the-inside locales?" Billy suggested. Pushing open the doors, we stepped into a narrow hallway that was barely wide enough for the three of us. Billy immediately ducked to avoid a low chandelier. "Or not," he added.

Beneath our feet was a faded, worn carpet. But beautiful paintings and tapestries hung from the walls, while the most inviting smells were wafting out of a nearby dining hall. We passed one narrow staircase and continued on. Two witches dressed in colourful, flowing robes offered us a cheerful good morning as we passed, while a flying carpet drifted over our heads.

"Don't we have one of those in the Command Centre?" Teresa asked.

Soon on the second floor, we followed the corridor along until we found a door with _Professor Barnabus Brucklehurst_ inscribed in gold above it. Billy lightly rapped his knuckles on the door frame.

"Just a minute," came a voice from inside. The door was soon pulled open, and standing before us was Professor Brucklehurst. He looked ancient and tiny, with a white beard that fell to his knees over colourful robes. Bright, lively eyes peeked out from behind thick, gold-rimmed glasses. Seeing us, he smiled. "Can I help you?" he asked.

"Actually, professor, we're here because of an old friend of yours," Teresa said. "Zordon sent us."

Brucklehurst's face lit up. "Zordon!" he exclaimed. Stepping back in shock, he ran his gaze over us as if seeing us for the first time. "That means you're… you! Oh! How thrilling. Come in, come in. I won't ask your names," and he tapped the side of his nose conspiratorially. "In fact I even know a charm that might make me forget your faces once you leave."

"That's okay," Teresa smiled, and we followed him into his office. It was impossibly tiny. Most of the space was taken up by a desk covered in strange magical gadgets, while the bookshelf opposite was full to bursting with dust-covered leather-bound volumes.

"This college is the most amazing place," Billy murmured.

Brucklehurst beamed with pride as he sat on the edge of his desk, and sent a pile of books cascading to the floor. "We've been here more than a century," he said. "We are a resource for anyone learning the magical arts. There's only a small teaching body, but we get by. Most of us live here, but some live in town or out in the woods. The school is enchanted, you see, so that you can only find it if you come looking for it."

"How long have you been teaching here?" Teresa asked.

"Decades now," the professor replied. "I was a student here too, you know. My original thesis project was about reproducing the mystical properties of sunlight."

"Fascinating," Billy said. "Did you succeed?"

"I set fire to my toolshed," Brucklehurst replied. "Nobody was hurt, and it needed redecorating anyway."

From somewhere in the building came a muffled thud. The walls shook and a small shower of dust rained over us. Teresa glanced to the corridor as smoke began drifting into the room. "Was that the kitchen?" she asked.

"Possibly," Brucklehurst replied cheerfully. "Either that or the dragon nursery out by the stables. They're so boisterous when they're young."

I laughed. "This sounds like the coolest college ever."

"Anyway, we didn't mean to interrupt your day," Billy began. "Since undoubtedly your teaching schedule is quite inflexible, but…"

Brucklehurst waved his hand. "You're not interrupting at all," he said, then his smile began to fade. "Actually, I was waiting for somebody," and the professor pulled a silver pocket watch from his robes. "That's not right," he murmured. From the sounds of it, he'd forgotten the three of us were in the room. "Arvis, where are you?" Without another word, Brucklehurst brushed past us outside.

The three of us stared blankly at each other. "Well, we might as well follow him," I said. We chased after him, following the professor down the corridor, up a set of stairs then down another, to a closed door at the back of the building. The sign above the door read _Professor Arvis, Keeper of Keys_.

Pushing the door open, Brucklehurst stepped inside. The curtains were drawn, and there was no light. It was dark and musty, and we saw Brucklehurst frown. "Professor Arvis was meant to drop in and see me this morning," he explained. "I was reading and lost track of time, but Arvis never arrived."

I could see in Brucklehurst's face that he was starting to panic. "Maybe he's just running late today?" I offered. "Happens to the best of us."

Billy nodded. "Or possibly he's feeling unwell?"

"Arvis is as fit as an ox," Brucklehurst replied. "And he's never been late. I warned him, you know," and he turned back to us. "Living in the forest, all alone? A recipe for disaster. Merlin's beard, I should've known something terrible would happen today. My socks matched perfectly this morning."

"It's gonna be okay," Teresa said. "You've got your students to teach, right? We'll track down Professor Arvis. I'm sure he just forgot or something."

Brucklehurst collapsed against the wall. "You would?" he asked. "You're very kind. Follow the main trail just over the next rise. Arvis lives in a small cottage, you won't miss it. Thank you for this."

"C'mon guys," Teresa said. "We'll be back soon with your missing professor," and the three of us headed outside.

_To be continued._


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for the reviews :). Minimoon - the Hogwarts references were actually unintentional, believe it or not. The College of Magical Knowledge was actually inspired by this beautiful painting I saw once, and I thought, gee I'd like to write a story about that place. But yeah, I do see the similarities. Brankel - good to hear from you again :). Hope you're keeping well, thank you. Jokermask - you actually inspired a lot of this one. In one of our messages, you mentioned a villain who I'd thought was a great character, and it was a shame they killed him off. But as Teresa says here, of all the bad-guys who could conceivably survive on-screen destruction, it'd be this guy. Anyway, enjoy chapter 2!

* * *

**Chapter Two**

Leaving the college, and getting lost navigating its twisting corridors no less than three times, we followed the trail deeper into the forest, soon losing sight of the college behind us. Birds chirped high above us, while spotted mushrooms grew in the shadows of moss-covered boulders and rotting tree trunks. Very little light made it down through the canopy, and although the sun was high in the sky, it was cool and shadowy. After a while, we could hear the sound of a babbling stream somewhere nearby. There was nothing like the forest back home, but I had to admit, Teresa was right. It was kind of nice here.

"I hope this Arvis is okay," Teresa said.

"Professor Brucklehurst did sound quite concerned, didn't he?" Billy added.

We'd only been walking for a few minutes when the trail began to rise. Climbing the ridge, we soon saw a clearing down ahead of us. On the far side was a small log cabin with a thatched roof.

"I'll say that's Professor Arvis's residence," Billy ventured.

Sitting behind a tiny mail box, the cottage was about the size of my garage. The cabin had a small front door between a pair of round windows. Higher up the wall were two more windows that would've been the interior's second floor. A chimney sat on one side of the roof, but no smoke was coming out of it.

"Doesn't look like anybody's home," Teresa said.

The three of us continued towards the cabin, but Billy raised his hand, and Teresa and I came to a stop. "Something seems awry here," he said softly. We soon saw what Billy had noticed. The front door wasn't shut, but hanging slightly ajar. As we watched, dark shapes were flashing past the windows. Every few seconds, the sound of something splintering or smashing echoed outside.

Our Ranger instincts kicked in automatically. Staying low and keeping as quiet as we could, we crept closer to the little house. Reaching one of the windows, Teresa and I flattened ourselves against the wall on one side, with Billy on the other. Moving slowly, we peered in through the glass.

The interior of the cabin was a mess, filled with smashed glass and broken furniture. Beside a staircase against the far wall, a shadowy figure had pinned a short bearded man to the wall. The captive was obviously Professor Arvis, but as my eyes focussed on his attacker, I suddenly realised how much trouble we were in.

That was a shadow demon.

With a body that was nothing but shadow, the creature was solid but transparent, with pointed fingertips, jagged dark teeth and glowing red eyes. I leaned closer, but a second demon suddenly prowled past the window. The three of us dropped to the ground, holding our breaths. But the creature didn't see us, and we soon heard the stairs creak.

"That must be professor Arvis," Billy whispered.

"And those are shadow demons," Teresa said tersely. "We have to get Arvis out of there."

"Should we morph?" I asked.

"We can't," Teresa replied. "Zordon said we wouldn't be able to. And we can't risk a brawl with Arvis caught in the middle."

I frowned, and glanced inside the cabin. "I'm not sure this is a good plan."

"It isn't," Teresa agreed. "But we have to rescue the professor. We can take a couple of shadow demons, can't we?"

"I'm not worried about them," I replied. "I'm more worried about whoever it was that summoned them. It takes a lot of power to conjure up those things."

"Ian's right," Billy said. "But unfortunately I don't think…"

We suddenly heard footsteps and the creak of a door, but the sound was on the far side of the house. Peering back through the window, we saw the back door to the cabin swing shut as a shadowy form stepped outside, leaving his partner still inside with Arvis.

"Okay," Teresa said quickly, "this is our best chance. We'll distract the demon. Ian, grab the professor, and then _run_."

We didn't really have any other options. "You got it," I said.

Hesitating by the front door for half a second, Teresa grit her teeth and suddenly kicked it open. The three of us charged inside. The ceiling was just high enough for us to run without needing to crouch, but we were halfway across the building in three steps. The demon spun to face us, dropping Arvis to the floor. With the demon surprised, Teresa grabbed a broken table and flung it at the creature's head. The beast staggered back as Billy flipped a fallen coat-stand into the air with his shoe. Snapping it in half, he threw it like a spear, pinning the demon to the wall.

Keeping low, I dashed over to the professor. "Professor Arvis?" I asked.

The little man looked up to me and blinked. He had a long tangled beard, but looked otherwise unhurt. "Who are you?" Arvis said.

"We're here to rescue you," I said quickly, and helped him to his feet.

"There's more of those things outside," he warned.

Of course there was. "We gotta go," I said. Grabbing the man's arm, we turned and ran. By now, we could all hear footsteps outside, rapidly approaching the cabin. The other demons must've heard the commotion.

We reached Billy and Teresa by the door, but Arvis suddenly froze. "Wait," he hissed, diving for a pile of torn blankets and clothes. "They're vicious, but not too smart," and he grabbed a thick coat from the bottom of the pile.

"C'mon!" Teresa shouted. Across the room, the shadow demon pulled itself free of the hat stand, uninjured. Charging across towards us, it lunged for Arvis's coat just as we raced outside. The beast's claws shredded the fabric, and I heard a set of keys fall to the floor.

"My keys!" Arvis shouted.

The demon raced towards us, arms raised, but I kicked the door off its hinges, slamming the beast back off its feet.

"Move!" I shouted, and the four of us raced away into the trees as the forest came alive with the sounds of pursuit. Teresa and Billy darted left into a thicket, but I continued on, dragging Arvis behind me. The man's legs were a blur of movement, and it's a miracle he didn't trip and fall. Racing over a ridge, I saw the trees here were thicker and dived behind a fallen tree trunk, dragging Arvis down beside me.

I froze, my heart pounding in my chest, and I soon heard footsteps behind us. A menacing shadow fell over us, and I pushed back against the tree trunk as far as I could. Glancing around desperately, I noticed a large stone near my foot, and picking it up, I rolled it down the hill, listening as it bounced and crashed down the gully away from us. The shadow pulled back, about to pursue when a voice rang out.

"You let him get away, did you?" the voice said. It was silky and smooth, but it was hard not to hear the cold fury. "Never mind. At least we finally found what we wanted." I heard the jangle of the keys that Arvis had tried to hide. "Let's go."

With that, our pursuers moved away. I waited for half a minute before slowly peering up over the tree-trunk. Six shadow demons were gliding through the forest away from us. But in the middle with Arvis's keys was a figure unlike the rest. Whoever it was, their body was hidden by a thick black cloak. But I could see two hands, jutting from the sleeves. They looked reptilian with pointed yellow claws. I took a second, but suddenly remembered where I'd seen them before. _Oh no._

"The Wizard of Deception," I said softly.

Arvis turned to me. "Who?"

"Somebody bad," I said. "Somebody _really_ bad," and once sure our pursuers had gone, I helped Arvis to his feet. "C'mon. We gotta go find the others."

* * *

I leaned down over the stream and lifted some water to my mouth. It was the coolest, freshest water I'd ever tasted. Beside me, Teresa splashed her face and pulled her hair back into a ponytail, while Billy filled his water bottle and stowed it back into his pocket. A few feet away, Professor Arvis leaned against a moss-covered rock to catch his breath.

Arvis and I had found Teresa and Billy, and we'd retreated to the side of the stream we'd heard earlier. Thick vegetation on either bank gave us plenty of cover, and once we'd all recovered, we turned to Professor Arvis.

"Are you okay?" Teresa asked.

"I'm a tough old geezer," Arvis said. "Tougher than they thought."

Billy couldn't resist. "Forgive my curiosity," he began, reaching for his tourist guide, "but are you one of the lake dwarves I read about?"

"No, though I do know them," he replied. "My family are more traditional. I grew up in a dwarf city under the mountains," and he pointed to the peaks on the horizon, barely visible through the trees. "But if you'll allow me to ask my own questions, what were those things?"

"Shadow demons," Teresa replied. "We've fought them before. They're vicious and tough. They're vulnerable to bursts of intense light, but that's about it."

"Could we lure them into a clearing?" Arvis asked.

I shook my head. "It won't work," I said. "Daylight by itself won't do a thing against them. It has to be something a lot stronger."

"Who summoned the creatures though?" Billy asked.

"I saw him," I replied. "It was the Wizard of Deception."

Billy frowned. "That seems highly unlikely," he mused. "The last time we fought the wizard, didn't he end up suffering a mild case of death?"

"We saw Zordon destroy the wizard's wand," Teresa said. "Now Tommy said he killed the wizard, but the wizard's whole game is lies and misdirection. What if it was just a trick? A magical copy or an illusion or something? He could've survived."

"But why attack the school?" Arvis asked. "We don't keep weapons or powerful magics here. It makes no sense."

"We need to contact Zordon," Billy said.

"Even depowered, the wizard is a major threat," Teresa agreed. "I'm not sure we can do this. Not just the three of us. And with six shadow demons on top of that?"

"That's enough for a whole team of Rangers," Billy added.

"But we have to," I said. "Guys, we have to. Our communicators don't work, so by the time we get help, it'll be too late. I know it's risky, but the college is in danger. We have to do something."

"We don't even know what he wants," Teresa said.

"I think we're missing something though," I said. "He's a wizard, right? Isn't this a school of magic?"

"He couldn't possibly have been a student," Billy replied.

"Not all of our students are young people such as yourselves," Arvis said.

"So he's not attacking so much as returning for something?" Teresa asked.

"Or destroying records that could lead to his true identity," I said.

Looking thoughtful, Arvis climbed to his feet. "Maybe both," he said. "One of the only things the college requires from students as payment to enrol is a charmed totem. Something that's small and precious, but worthless to anybody except its owner. We keep them in the school archives under lock and key."

"I don't suppose you remember teaching any supervillains?" I asked.

Arvis shrugged. "In a century, a lot of people have been through our doors," but his voice faded, and a distant look appeared in the dwarf's eyes. "Although in my final year as a student, I remember a man about your age," and the dwarf pointed at Billy. "He stayed in town and mostly kept to himself. One afternoon in the library, I stumbled into him in the botany section. I remember marvelling that he could've been a gardener, since he didn't seem to relate to people. But he told me he was researching a theory. Plants grow by absorbing water and sunlight, so what if you could enchant something to absorb stray magic? I laughed it off."

Arvis's eyes suddenly grew wide. I've seen that expression many times before. It was universally followed by bad news. "One day I was in the archives dropping off my totem, but he was there as well. I remember looking out of sheer curiosity. His totem was a blue crystal rose."

Billy, Teresa and I all turned to each other. "So that rose has been sitting in the archives absorbing stray magic for fifty years?" Teresa said.

"Charging like a battery," Billy nodded. "By now, it'd be full to capacity."

"And without his wand, the wizard needs power, so he's come to collect," I finished. "Guys, we have to stop him. Arvis, I'm guessing one of those keys was for the college archives?"

"The archives are protected," Arvis said. "Those keys are the only way in. Which means we don't have a lot of time."

"He's not that far ahead," I said. "Is there any other way back into the college?"

"There's a tunnel," Arvis replied. "It leads into one of the cellars. I am a dwarf, after all. I doubt any of the students know about it."

"Then let's move," Teresa said, and stood up. "Is the tunnel nearby?"

Arvis nodded. "I hope you don't mind spiders."

I smiled. "We're Australian. We'll feel right at home."

_To be concluded._


	3. Chapter 3

Brankel - if you liked the Rangers rescuing Arvis, you're gonna love this one :). Yes, the scenes here with Billy and Teresa were as fun to write as they are to read :). Thanks for reading, everyone. I hope you enjoyed the story! Until next time...

* * *

**Chapter Three**

With slow, deliberate footsteps, the Wizard of Deception stepped out of the forest towards the college, the six shadow demons murmuring malevolently behind him. Teachers and students walking along the lawn or standing on one of the balconies immediately spotted him. Screams of terror filled the air, and everyone began racing inside to safety. Behind his cloak, the wizard smiled. Truthfully, while deception was his stock and trade, there was something about being actively feared that he'd missed. All he had to do was reach the rose, and his glorious power would return.

Approaching the building, he turned back to the shadow demons behind him. "There will be heroes," the wizard said. "There always are. One of you, come with me. The rest? Keep the college occupied. Stop them from interfering. Tear the whole place down if you have to. Go!"

Looking down over the lawn from one of the front windows, Arvis, Brucklehurst, Billy, Teresa and I watched as the group parted. The wizard and a single demon stepped around towards the back of the building, while the other five demons leapt towards the building, clambering up the stone walls and smashing their way inside. All around, we could hear screams and shouts as people fought to escape.

"Brucklehurst," Teresa began, and turned to the professor. "You need to help evacuate the college. Get everyone away from the wizard. Billy and I will take care of the shadow demons."

"But you won't have your powers," Brucklehurst said.

"We'll improvise," Billy said. "We're actually very good at it."

"Meanwhile, Ian and Professor Arvis, get down to the archives," Teresa continued. "We need to get to that rose before the wizard."

I nodded. "You got it," I said. "Good luck guys."

* * *

Climbing into the building through one of the windows, two of the demons made their way down the third floor corridor, destroying everything in their path and leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. They were about to continue when a lone figure suddenly stepped into the corridor before them, blocking the way forward.

"Uh, gents?" Billy called. "I don't believe that's acceptable behaviour."

The creatures glared at him, and with inhuman screeches, charged towards him. Billy raced away, back down the corridor to the door he'd seen earlier with _Alchemy Lab_ printed on the wall above. Racing into the lab and throwing the door shut, he turned to the students hiding under the tables.

"Go!" he shouted, pointing to a supplies cupboard in the corner. "Into the store-room! No matter what you hear, keep your eyes shut!"

The students obeyed, scrambling over to the store-room as Billy reached for his bottle of water and emptied the contents onto the floor. Going to the shelves at the front of the room, he scanned the bottles. None of the labels were printed in English, but he knew what he was looking for. Grabbing two bottles, he pulled the stoppers off and poured the contents into the same bottle.

Behind him, the door was ripped off its hinges as the two demons stepped into the lab. Turning to face them, shaking the mixture in one hand, Billy casually pulled his glasses off with the other, folding them and placing them on the bench-top. The demons closed in.

"Creatures of magic," Billy said, and flipped the stopper off the bottle, "meet basic chemistry." And he threw the mixture at the puddle of water, while clamping his other hand firmly over his eyes.

Even with his eyes shut, the world went white. Opening his eyes, he took a minute to blink away the spots, and glanced down to the puddle of water. There, small and fractured pieces of the demons were now lying on the floor. And even as he watched, they dissolved into nothing.

* * *

Brucklehurst had just finished directing a crowd of students down to the cellars when he heard ominous footsteps behind him. Turning on the spot, the professor's face fell as one of the shadow demons stalked towards him. Reaching up with trembling fingers, Brucklehurst fumbled his glasses off and slid them into his pocket. Only a few steps away, the demon raised its arms to attack.

"Demon shadow," Brucklehurst murmured, so quietly the demon could barely hear him, "would you care to see my thesis project?" He whispered a quick chant under his breath and held out his hand, where a ball of radiant sunlight took shape in his palm. The creature froze, visibly uncomfortable, and shrank back.

"It's quite extraordinary," Brucklehurst continued absent-mindedly. "All the heat magically converts to light, so I can hold it in my hand. Would you like a closer look?"

With that, the professor shoved the ball of sunlight _straight through the demon's torso_. The shadow demon threw its head back, but the scream never came. Shuddering and twisting on the spot, the creature soon disintegrated before the professor's eyes and collapsed into dust. Brucklehurst stepped back, pleased with himself, until he caught a whiff of smoke and glanced down. The edge of his robe had caught fire.

"Damn it," the professor swore, stamping on the fabric until the fire was out. "Every time."

* * *

In the main hallway, students and teachers alike ran as two of the demons charged towards them. The satyr who'd helped us earlier was fleeing at the back of the crowd when he tripped over a smashed bookcase, and crashed heavily to the floor. He turned back in fear as one of the demons towered over him, when Teresa suddenly charged towards them, kicking a chair into the demon's face and taking it to the ground. Reaching down, she offered the young satyr her hand and helped him to his hooves.

"Go!" she said tersely. "Run! I've got this!"

As the satyr raced away, Teresa looked back to the two demons who had regained their footing and were steadily closing in.

"No," she said simply.

The closest demon attacked, raking its claws towards her. Teresa ducked the blow, dodging a second swipe and stepping around a third before grabbing the creature while it was off-balance and smashing it into a wall. The second demon raced forward but Teresa took to the air, kicking high and forcing the creature back. It lashed out as she landed, and Teresa leaped to the side, bounced off the opposite wall and kicked the demon in the head, sending it crashing. By now, the first demon had recovered, but as Teresa dropped to the ground, she spun around, felling her opponent with a spinning high kick.

Picking themselves up, the two beasts hung back warily. The demon on the left suddenly attacked, lurching forward and swinging high, but Teresa dodged the move and struck away its arm, aiming a rapid blow to the beast's face. The demon stumbled back as the second creature attacked. Teresa aimed high but the demon expected the move, catching her foot and spinning her off her feet. Teresa crashed against the wall, and fought to recover as the demon continued to attack. Teresa ducked one punch but couldn't avoid the second, and the beast launched her backwards through a doorway into the dining room where she crashed into a chair and smashed it to pieces, rolling to a stop next to the fireplace.

Catching her breath as the beasts approached, Teresa was about to climb to her feet when she heard the crackling of the fire nearby. With a smile, she grabbed one of the broken chair legs, rolled to her feet and held the chair leg in the fire just long enough for it to catch alight. The first demon charged forward, but she struck him in the head with the burning torch, instantly setting the beast alight. With a scream, it toppled backwards away from her. The second beast attacked, swinging high, but Teresa batted away its arm with the torch before stabbing the weapon through its chest. The two beasts shuddered as the fire took hold, roaring through them in an instant and soon reducing them to nothing more than ashes on the tiled floor.

Teresa threw the torch into the fire, and reached for a jug of water to douse the remaining flames as Brucklehurst stepped into the room behind her. "Wow," he murmured. "You just beat two shadows by setting fire to them. That's… I mean, that's not even… well done."

Teresa smiled. "We have to go find Ian and Arvis. C'mon."

* * *

Outside the college walls, the wizard approached the door to the cellar that housed the school's archives. But just as he pulled Arvis's keys from his cloak, I caught up to him, leaping out of the stables onto the grass and turning to face him.

"You're not getting past me," I said. "You may as well give up."

The wizard froze. I couldn't see his face, but heard the sudden rage in his voice. "You're a Ranger," he growled, spitting the word out like a curse. "I'm going to enjoy watching this," and the shadow demon behind him closed in.

"Fair enough," I said. "But I warn you. I brought back-up."

I reached back to the stable door and pulled it open. A dozen glowing eyes shone out of the darkness, and the demon froze as six baby dragons bounced out of the shadows towards it, all of them spitting white-hot balls of fire. The demon raised its arm to shield itself, but a fireball slammed into him and destroyed his arm in a puff of smoke. The beast roared, but didn't get the chance to retaliate before another dragon leaped up and sank its teeth into the demon's other arm. The rest of the babies arrived, snapping and biting at the beast's legs and body. The demon tried in vain to swat the creatures free, but the weight of the dragons pulled it to the ground, and we lost sight of it under the pile.

I turned to the wizard. "I don't think that's gonna go well for him," I said.

The wizard's disbelief gave way to rage. "You won't stop me," he growled.

"I know what you want," I said, and held up a glass case. Inside the case was the blue rose. Its petals and leaves were made out of blue crystal, and it sparkled in the sunlight. The wizard leaned forward, then suddenly sneered.

"I'm insulted," he spat. "This is a school for magic. Did you think I wouldn't spot a deception if I saw one?" The wizard waved his hand, and the blue crystal dissolved into nothing. Before I had time to react, the wizard closed the distance between us and struck me in the chest, launching me back to the stairwell. "You are wasting my time."

I climbed to my feet. "Yeah," I said. "I am."

With that, Arvis stepped out of the building behind me, holding the real crystal rose. It was even more beautiful than the illusion, and was faintly humming. I saw the wizard freeze. Behind us, Billy, Teresa and Professor Brucklehurst emerged from the college to join us.

"Leave this place," Teresa said. "You've lost today. We don't want to hurt you."

Brucklehurst raised his hand. A ball of sunlight there glowed radiantly.

The wizard laughed contemptuously. "You're going to beat me with artificial sunlight?" he sneered. "You don't have the power to do that."

"No," Brucklehurst announced cheerfully. "But you do." Reaching across, he took the rose from Arvis, and it started shining so brightly none of us could look at it. "This is your last warning wizard. Stand down."

"That is my power!" the wizard roared, raising his hands and charging towards us as lightning began crackling around him. "Give that to me!"

"Get down!" Brucklehurst yelled. We dived to safety as he reached back and threw the ball of sunlight straight for the wizard, the ball exploding into a giant fireball as it left his hand and slamming into the wizard. He was instantly lost from view in the firestorm, and as the blast dissipated, we turned back to see the tattered remains of the wizard's cloak float gently to the grass.

"Good work guys," I said, as Teresa helped me to my feet. "We did it."

* * *

While Teresa and Billy helped Professor Arvis and the other teachers clean up after the fight, I stepped over towards Brucklehurst, standing in the grass and watching the baby dragons play in the sun. Resting on a nearby table was the crystal rose.

"I'm sorry about all the damage," I said, and nodded back to the school.

Brucklehurst grinned broadly. "But the school is safe, and nobody was hurt," he said. "Zordon does have a habit of choosing well, doesn't he? Do you think the wizard is gone for good?"

I looked back to the charred cloak lying on the grass, and shrugged. "Probably not," I admitted. "But I don't think he'll be back any time soon. We'll take the rose with us just in case."

"A good idea, I think."

My eyes grew wide, and I reached for my back pocket. "I'm so sorry," I said quickly. "I just remembered, the reason Zordon sent us here in the first place," and I handed the small box over to the professor. "It got a little crushed in the fight."

Brucklehurst's eyes lit up, and he undid the ribbon and opened the box. Inside was a little sun, carved out of a bright orange jewel. Behind his beard, I saw the corners of his mouth curl into a grin. "He never forgets, you know," the professor said softly. "Every year he remembers. Tell Zordon thank you for my birthday present." I laughed, and the professor gestured over to Teresa and Billy. "Now, won't you stay for lunch?"

* * *

We returned to the Command Centre late that night, spending such a great afternoon in Germany that we forgot all about the time difference. The college celebrated surviving the morning with a magnificent feast, and the three of us ate so much that I felt sure we wouldn't need to eat for days. As Alpha and Zordon listened, we told them everything that had happened at the college, and explained the origins of the glowing crystal rose lying on the console before us.

Zordon shrank bank in his dimensional tube. Was he embarrassed? "I'm so sorry Rangers," he began. "I thought I was giving you a pleasant excursion into the Black Forest. I had no idea the Wizard of Deception was still a threat."

"It's fortunate we were there, though," Billy said. "Without us, the wizard would've easily found the rose and regained his power."

"I'm glad we brought it home," Teresa said, admiring the perfect blue crystal. "It's so beautiful."

"That it is. Teresa and Billy, if you could help Alpha take the rose down to the vaults," Zordon began. "We'll store it in an insulated container to keep it safe, as well as prevent it from absorbing any more magic. Thank you."

Before long, Zordon and I were alone in the central chamber.

"So you enjoyed the trip?" Zordon asked.

I heard the tone in his voice, and smiled to myself. "You picked me specifically today, didn't you?" I asked.

"I confess to having an ulterior motive," Zordon replied. "I've noticed, Ian, that lately you've been sounding less confident. I thought that a trip to the college would reignite your sense of adventure, something I've always admired about you." Zordon paused, and chuckled. "My plan worked a little too well, didn't it?"

"I guess it did," I replied. "Still, I had fun today. I saw some things that I hadn't seen before, and met some pretty incredible people. And I have a place to stay if I'm ever in that part of Germany again."

Zordon beamed. "And if I have another mission for you in the morning?"

I tapped my communicator. "You know where to find me."

"Good to know," Zordon replied. "Good night Ian."

"Good night Zordon," I said. With a final smile, I reached for my communicator and disappeared in a flash of silver light.

It's a funny thing, confidence. I always looked at the other Rangers and how they never looked overwhelmed. But maybe they were just better at hiding it? With all the wild places we go and crazy things we do, sometimes maybe it's just best to roll with the punches? But the thing about all those missions is that just about every one of them has something amazing to appreciate and enjoy. I get that, more than ever, and I hope I never lose it.

My name is Ian Thompson. I'm the Grey Power Ranger.

And every morning, I wake up ready for the next adventure.

_The End._


End file.
